Will Campbell’s Super Bowl Debut Highlights Rookie Growing Pains in Patriots’ Loss to Seahawks
Will Campbell’s first year in the NFL ended on the biggest stage in football - but it wasn’t the storybook finish the rookie left tackle or the New England Patriots were hoping for.
The Patriots fell to the Seattle Seahawks, 29-13, in a Super Bowl that underscored both the promise and the pitfalls of a young offensive line still finding its footing. Campbell, the former LSU standout, had a front-row seat to the learning curve - and at times, was right in the middle of it.
After a strong start to his rookie campaign, Campbell’s season hit a speed bump when he missed a stretch of games due to injury. And while he returned to the lineup before the postseason, the consistency just wasn’t there - something that became painfully clear under the bright lights on Sunday night.
According to Next Gen Stats, Campbell allowed 14 pressures in the game - the most by any player in a single contest this season. That’s not just a rough outing; that’s a stat that jumps off the page and tells the story of a line that struggled to keep its quarterback upright.
Drake Maye, the Patriots’ young signal-caller, spent most of the night under siege. He was sacked six times for a loss of 43 yards, and the offense couldn’t find any rhythm until the fourth quarter - by which point, the game was already out of reach. Seattle’s pass rush, relentless from the opening snap, dictated the tempo and never let up.
Campbell’s performance in the Super Bowl doesn’t erase the strides he made during the regular season. He finished the year with a 76.1 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 24th among tackles with at least 100 pass-blocking snaps. That’s a solid foundation, especially for a rookie thrown into the fire early.
But Sunday night was a reminder: the jump from college to the pros is steep, and the margin for error in a Super Bowl is razor-thin. Campbell has the tools - size, athleticism, and a year of experience under his belt - but the next step will be about refining his technique, staying healthy, and becoming the kind of anchor the Patriots envisioned when they brought him in.
For now, the Seahawks celebrate their second Super Bowl title, while the Patriots - and Campbell - head into the offseason with plenty to learn and plenty to prove.